1 Kings 20:23

Of the hills. Even the Syrians attributed the Hebrew victory to divine aid. But they had no true understanding of the omnipotence of Jehovah. Ancient polytheism was based on the idea of the local power and influence of deities. There was, for instance, a Baal of Hernion, a Baal of Lebanon, a Baal of the summit of Zaphon, and a Baal-shamin, who was the god of the heavens, of the mountaintops, and of lightning and thunder.

These Baalim are often mentioned in ancient religious texts as gods of war, as well as gods of the mountains, the clouds, and thunder. It may be that the Syrians were thinking primarily in terms of Baal, so prominent in Israel since the days of Jezebel, as the god who had given Ahab victory. Samaria lay in the mountainous region of Ephraim. If victory was to be secured for Syria, it was felt that the Israelites must be lured away from the hills into the valley, giving the Syrians both tactical and religious advantage.